


Then and Now

by SegaBarrett



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: 50 Shades of Grey - Freeform, Gen, Incest Mention, Red Dragon Spoilers, Sibling Bonding, The Story of O, Young Norma and Caleb, but no actual incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4694660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/pseuds/SegaBarrett
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Norma and Caleb book club.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Then and Now

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Bates Motel, and I make no money from this.
> 
> A/N: Some spoilers for Red Dragon (the book, though the scene alluded to is also in the movies and show), also mentions of The Story of O and 50 Shades. Current-day stuff takes place some time post S3 when Caleb has come back to town.

Norma Calhoun slung her legs over the bottom bunk, shifting the book in her hands as she let out an audible grunt. She wasn’t sure whether the sound she had made was one of confusion, frustration, or shock, but it might have been all three.

A sound of footsteps signaled her older brother’s descent down the ladder, and a moment later Caleb was looking at her with a smirk on his face.

“What’re ya reading?”

She held up _The Story of O_ silently.

“What’s it about?”

Frustrated, she put the book marker back in the book and closed it.

“It’s ridiculous. This woman is dating this guy, and she gets whisked away to this like… crazy palace where everyone has sex with her, and she has to listen to anything that he says whether she wants to do it or not!”

Caleb blinked.

“Why doesn’t she run away?”

“She says she loves him,” Norma replied, tucking the book under her arm. “I don’t understand. I mean…”

Caleb ducked his head to sit down next to her.

“So like… whatever he says? No matter what? What if he told her to kill herself?”

Norma let out a huff.

“I guess she’d do it. I don’t know. I don’t understand this book at all! It’s supposed to be a sexy book.”

“People are weird,” Caleb mused.

“But it’s just ridiculous. I swear no matter who it was, I’d never just follow a guy without question. Like, I don’t think love is supposed to hurt. Otherwise, what’s the point? Like there’s all kinds of whipping and screaming. That’s not sexy at all.”

“That sounds like Red Dragon.”

Norma glared at him.

“You shouldn’t have told me to read that book, Caleb. That book was terrifying! That reporter…”

Caleb laughed and put an arm on her shoulder.

“You should never say ‘bite me’ to the Great Red Dragon…”

***

Norma Bates was sitting on the couch in her living room, eyes going wider at every page. She almost didn’t hear the footsteps down the stairs until her brother was right behind the couch.

“Caleb! Jesus.” Norma nearly dropped the book. “When did you get stealthy?”

He chuckled and took an awkward seat on the arm of the couch.

“What are you reading?” 

Norma held up _Fifty Shades of Grey_.

“What’s that about?”

“This girl who falls for a billionaire who’s into S&M.”

“Sounds like The Story of O.”

“It basically is. Less convoluted though, and less kidnapping. And more helicopters. It’s still stupid, though.”

Caleb laughed.

“You wouldn’t run off with a billionaire?”

Norma snorted.

“Not this one. His tastes are a little… singular. And he has long emotional rants about how he can’t love everyone because his mother was a crack addict.”

“Guess we need to find our excuse, then.”

“And be billionaires. Then we’ll have a much easier time on the dating scene, no matter what we do.” She cocked her head to the side. “Do you date, Caleb? Is that a thing you do?”

“Nah. Not really, I mean. I’m never in one place long enough.”

“I wish I could say you’re missing out. I’m just about done with it. I actually got this stupid book from some woman I was friends with for… I don’t know. Three weeks. She threatened to ruin me in town because I wouldn’t date her brother.” She smirked. “Would have loved to have seen the look on her face if she knew what I did with mine.”

Caleb looked away for a moment, then moved an inch closer to her, peeking into the book.

“So what’s happening now?”

“Something to do with his helicopter,” Norma explained. Caleb reached out and plucked the book from her hands, proceeding to flip through it.

“He what? She… when? How?”

“Oh, give it back.” Norma reached out to take the book, then placed it on the table in front of her. “I’m tired anyway. Why are you down here?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Norma, too tired to really consider what she was doing, leaned her head on Caleb’s shoulder. 

“Think I’ll stay here a moment.”

“Okay.”

Caleb’s shoulder was warm, and she lay her head down there for a few minutes, before feeling drowsy. She yawned, then turned her head so that her lips were parallel with his ears.

“Caleb?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ever say ‘bite me’ to the Great Red Dragon,” she whispered. Caleb went into a full-body shudder.

“I had forgotten that, you know.”

“Serves you right.”

She shut her eyes and fell back asleep.


End file.
